Italian NGO Mediterranea this morning wrote to Malta’s government saying it has been carefully following the case of a wooden boat in distress with approximately 90 people on board, reported to all concerned authorities by the organization Alarm Phone - Watch The Med in position 34° 37' N - 12° 27' E at 22:35 CEST [...]

The government will never admit it but we’re in a bind of their making. Malta has squandered its diplomatic credentials and we are now kicking migrants as if they are to blame for Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela. Another 90 migrants are presently taking in water from the sea in our search and rescue area. [...]

UPDATED at 08:44. See below for details of the 'rescue' operation. A wooden boat carrying 90 migrants is presently within Maltese territorial waters. Reports from the location say the boat is in a precarious state with a real risk of toppling over. The passengers include at least one pregnant woman and some children. Alarm Phone [...]